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Miranda class
The Miranda-class was a class of starship that saw service in Starfleet during the 23rd and 24th centuries. A versatile vessel they saw service as combatants (usually classified as light cruisers, transports, supply ships and science vessels). :There were several noted Starfleet officers from a family with the surname of ''Miranda. The ship class and the lead vessel was named after this family.'' ( ) Fanon The Miranda was designed during the late-2260s as part of Starfleet's Exploratory Vessel Initiative to take advantage of the new technologies that had been developed for the refit program. It was designed as a highly adaptable vessel that could fill any role from surveyor to combat cruiser. Entering service in 2274, the Mirandas adaptability along with its ease of construction saw Starfleet construct large numbers of these vessels. ( ) ''Star Fleet Battles As wartime began to loom on the horizon, the Federation took a serious look at their shipbuilding program. It was noted that the excellent command cruiser took too long to build and that the destroyer design had serious limitations on its combat capability. Famed designer Ray Olesen was tasked to produce an improved design. The result was the “new” light cruiser. The ''Miranda-class used the primary hull section of the , with some modifications, and it used a pair of more efficient warp nacelles. The Mirandas replaced Saladins in the production program on a one for one basis. The design was so successful that the Miranda was used as the basis for many variants. There existed at least three variants of this class. New drone cruiser Impressed with the ability of the Klingon missile bombardment ships to provide an additional concentration of firepower, the Federation designed this long–range missile bombardment ship using the Miranda hull as a basis. Technical problems delayed its introduction into Starfleet service. ( ) Commando variant With the supply of old hulls dwindling rapidly during wartime, the Federation developed this design to replace the Commando Cruiser. While it lacked the Commando Cruiser’s ability to land directly on planets and was not as well armed, it had better shielding, was able to operate with other Miranda hulls, and had a larger shuttlebay.( ) Light command cruiser This ship was intended as a substitute for command cruisers. Proven inadequate in that role, it was used as a command cruiser for Miranda squadrons. ( ) New heavy cruiser (NCA) Faced with the shortage of heavy cruiser hulls, the Federation (like many other races) looked to its war cruiser design and created a “new heavy cruiser” that could be assembled in shipyards that were building light cruisers (leaving the shipyards free to build ships). The addition of the rear hull and the small center engine increased power, versatility, and range. ( ) New heavy command cruiser (NCC) A variant of the NCA, the NCC added command, communication and control abilities, and a small increase in firepower. It wasn’t considered a very successful class, as it was too expensive to produce in meaningful numbers and it was too easily destroyed in combat. ( ) ''Star Trek: Avenger/''Star Trek: Shadowstar Station In these continuities, some vessels were upgraded to heavy frigates in the 2250s. The Mirandas were new-build ships based on the Avenger-class spaceframe and first commissioned c. 2283. ( : "Cabin Fever", ) Variants File:Miranda Class.jpg|''Miranda'' class with rollbar File:Miranda Class Variant 1.jpg|''Miranda'' minus rollbar File:Miranda Class Variant 2.jpg|''Miranda'' without rollbar and with port and starboard sensor pods See also * Background information *Specifications in sidebar from the . Category:Federation starship classes Category:Miranda class starships